James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room—by Quintessence Theatre and now in previews at the Sedgwick Theater in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood—is the first sanctioned by the late author’s estate, WHYY reported.
“It’s the first authorized version,” said co-writer and director Paul Oakley Stovall. (Ben Sprunger is the other co-writer.) “As we’ve been rehearsing, people are coming out of the woodwork: ‘I did one, but I didn’t tell them.’ You know? This is the first authorized world premiere by the estate.” The story, about an American couple traveling in Europe as the man gets involved in the Paris gay scene, is about queer identity and American privilege abroad. Stovall and Sprunger both came out of Chicago’s About Face Theatre and the city’s avant-garde theater scene.
The Lena Waithe-produced Showtime series The Chi has officially been renewed for an eighth season by Paramount+ with Showtime after a strong season-seven debut, Deadline reported. The Chi has now tied Dexter, Homeland and Weeds for the second longest run in Showtime’s history, only behind Shameless‘ 11 seasons. From 20th Television, The Chi revolves around a group of residents on Chicago’s South Side who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The current cast includes Lynn Whitfield, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Michael V. Epps, Shamon Brown Jr., Birgundi Baker and Luke James. Other show runners include Common, Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of ID8 Multimedia, and Hillman Grad CEO Rishi Rajani, among others.
The husband of King of the Hill star Jonathan Joss—who voiced John Redcorn—alleged that the actor was murdered in San Antonio, Texas, by a homophobic neighbor after enduring “years” of violent threats on their street, per The New York Post. “He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, wrote on Facebook. However, “currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” the San Antonio Police Department wrote on X. Also, residents told My San Antonio that Joss was an “erratic” neighbor whose antics caused them to regularly ignore him for their own safety. Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja—a suspect and neighbor who lives down the street from the couple—was arrested shortly after the shooting.
Veteran actress Tia Carrere—who is part of the new live-action Lilo & Stitch, and who first was noticed in 1992’s Wayne’s World—announced that she is the proud parent of a trans child, according to Them. At the film’s world premiere of the blockbuster film, Carrere was represented by her 19-year-old trans son, Jude, who went in her place, as she revealed to People magazine. “He doesn’t love the spotlight,” Carrere said. “He’s more introverted, so he definitely won’t go into acting or singing like I did. But he’s a great artist.” Jude is the latest in a group of trans kids whose celebrity parents have gone public with their support; recently, Airyn De Niro, the daughter of Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith, discussed their life and gender as a “late bloomer,” according to her own description.
Netflix revealed the premiere date for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery as Dec. 12, per Deadline. Rian Johnson directed the third film in the mystery series, which will see Daniel Craig return as LGBTQ+ detective Benoit Blanc. Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, out actor Andrew Scott, Thomas Haden Church and Glenn Close are among the co-stars. The 2022 film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery starred Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick.
Breaking Glass Pictures announced the upcoming release of Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero—an animated LGBTQ+ comedy adventure directed and produced by Anthony Hand. The 89-minute film will debut digitally in the States and Canada on June 17, during Pride Month. Maxxie follows shy barista Simon, who stumbles upon a magical pink wig that transforms him into the fierce drag super-shero Maxxie LaWow. When the wicked Dyna Bolical begins kidnapping drag queens for their youth-preserving tears, Maxxie teams up with best friend Jae for a daring rescue mission. The film has an all-star voice cast including Grant Hodges, Erika Ishii, Terren Wooten Clarke, Laraine Newman, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Michael-Leon Wooley and Michelle C. Bonilla as well as beloved drag icons Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, and Monét X Change.
Actor Sean Penn—who portrayed gay-rights icon Harvey Milk in his Oscar-winning turn in Milk—criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for reportedly ordering the Navy to strip an oil ship of its name honoring the activist, The Hill noted. “I’ve never before seen a Secretary of Defense so aggressively demote himself to the rank of Chief PETTY Officer,” Penn said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Openly gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who also took home an Oscar for his work on Milk, called Hegseth’s order “yet another move to distract and to fuel the culture wars that create division.”
Broadway figure Patti LuPone apologized for comments she made about Audra McDonald and Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewis in a recent New Yorker interview, according to Variety. “For as long as I have worked in theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized,” LuPone wrote on Instagram. “That is changing today. I am deeply sorry for the words I used during her interview with The New Yorker, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. … I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.” The theater icon’s remarks—in which she called Lewis a “bitch” and said that McDonald was no longer a friend— rocked the Broadway community, with more than 500 performers and artists calling on the Tony Awards in an open letter to disinvite LuPone.
The outlet Them unveiled the second of its Pride Month covers, featuring Severance star Tramell Tillman, a press release noted. Tillman opened up to editor-at-large Michael Cuby about the inspiration behind his career in the arts, what he’s looking for in a partner and adjusting to his newfound fame. “I’m running around to all these wonderful events, and then I come home and I’m like, ‘I don’t have any groceries.’ Or, ‘I’ve got to unclog my sink,’” Tillman said, in part. “It’s just this total disconnect from this glamorous life of being in these fancy suits and expensive jewelry on wonderful carpets.” About dating, he revealed, ““I’m still monogamous. I don’t have a problem with people who are open. I respect that. But for me, I really believe in monogamy. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. I don’t think it’s antiquated. I don’t think it’s anti-queer. I think it’s a choice. It’s also found in nature. There are animals that are!”
The Pitt star Supriya Ganesh has come out as queer and opened up about their decision to use she/they pronouns, per LGBTQ Nation. Talking with Variety, Ganesh said that when they returned to the States from India (after moving there at age 3), they were “shocked by how restrictive the gender roles are, because in India you have the existence of a third gender.” Ganesh said they were inspired by actress Lily Gladstone’s decision to use she/they pronouns “in acknowledgement of third-spirit people and some two-spirit people.”
In a lengthy note posted to her official website, Taylor Swift announced, “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me,” according to the AP. Swift bought her catalog of recordings—originally released through Big Machine Records—from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. Over the last few years, Swift has been re-recording and releasing her first six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music. The series started because of music manager Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog.
Gracie McGraw—the daughter of country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill—has come out as queer, according to People. On June 2, Gracie shared a celebratory Pride month post on her Instagram Stories that read, “Everyone get more gay now,” with several exclamation points, adding, “I love being queer.” The post marked the first time that Gracie opened up about her sexuality. While her parents have not commented on the revelation, Hill has publicly supported the LGBTQ+ community on various occasions, including when Chely Wright came out as a lesbian in 2010.
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) and Toni Collette (Hereditary) are set to star as estranged sisters whose reunion sets off an emotionally volatile chain of events in Mother Courage—the feature directorial debut of American Horror Story and The Assassination of Gianni Versace actor Cody Fern, per Deadline. Two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands) will play their caustic mother.
Following the success of Wicked Part 1, Ariana Grande and Universal will next collaborate on the next installment in the Meet the Parents franchise, Deadline revealed. John Hamburg is directing, with the original cast of Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner returning to star. The film is slated to debut on Nov. 25, 2026. The first Meet the Parents grossed more than $330 million at the global box office when it was released in 2000, becoming that year’s seventh highest-grossing film globally.
Bono: Stories of Surrender—a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically acclaimed one-man stage show, “Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…”—is now on Apple TV+, per a press release. The official description is, “As he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends and faith that have challenged and sustained him, he also reveals personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rock star. Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the tour, the film features Bono performing many of the iconic U2 songs that have shaped his life and legacy.”
A trans theater company is staging the gender-bending Shakespearean production Twelfth Night this summer in London—and the play will receive an introduction from none other than LGBTQ+ actor Sir Ian McKellen, according to Them. Trans What You Will—which is dedicated to staging Shakespeare plays with trans and nonbinary performers—will produce the staged reading at The Space in London on July 25. In a statement posted to Trans What You Will’s Instagram, McKellen called Twelfth Night “perhaps the funniest and most moving of Shakespeare’s plays.” Additionally, Trans What You Will is crowdfunding for production costs, and any profit generated will be donated to the UK-based organization Not a Phase.
Actors Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will make their Broadway debuts next year in Dog Day Afternoon, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis, Deadline noted. The play will be based on the true crime that inspired Sidney Lumet’s Oscar-winning 1975 motion picture starring Al Pacino and John Cazale. Produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand, that film also starred James Broderick, Charles Durning and Chris Sarandon as Sonny’s boyfriend, who needs Sonny’s money for gender-affirming surgery. Bernthal currently stars alongside Ben Affleck in The Accountant 2, and alongside Rami Malek in the CIA spy thriller The Amateur; on TV, he can be seen in Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again. Also, Bernthal won his first Emmy for his role Hulu’s The Bear, which also stars Moss-Bachrach.
Shakira canceled her concert at WorldPride that was scheduled for May 31, per The Advocate. She was to perform at Nationals Park in D.C, as part of the event’s opening festivities. “Because of the unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances that affected me and other artists in Boston, my full tour production is not able to be moved to Washington, D.C. in time for my scheduled performance on Saturday,” the singer said in a statement posted on the Nationals Park website. “ I promise that I will do everything in my power to be with you as soon I can. Thank you for your support in these difficult circumstances.” Shakira’s Boston concert had been set for Fenway Park, and country artists Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn had been scheduled to perform there May 30; however, “the staging fell apart during rehearsal on [May 29],” Boston TV station WCVB reported.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of his album Dream Into Action, New Wave icon Howard Jones will soon embark on a global tour, per a press release. The tour will kick off in the United States in September and will feature support from acts such as Haircut 100 with SiriusXM First Wave DJ Richard Blade. Dream Into Action peaked at #2 in the UK charts and cracked the US Top 10. It went on to spawn the hit singles “Things Can Only Get Better” (which experienced a resurgence after being featured on an episode of Netflix’s Stranger Things) and “No One is to Blame” as well as “Life in One Day” and “Like to Get to Know You Well.”
The Great American Baking Show is churning out more seasons, specials and spinoffs at The Roku Channel, and adding queer actor Andrew Rannells as the new co-host of the growing franchise alongside Casey Wilson and staples Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, Variety noted. Along with the main series being renewed for a fourth season, three of its existing offshoots have been picked up for additional seasons: The Great American Baking Show Celebrity Holiday Special (season four), The Great American Baking Show Big Game (season two) and The Great American Baking Show Celebrity Summer (season two). And if those aren’t enough, Roku will start airing The Great British Baking Show: Juniors as a Roku original beginning with the show’s eighth and ninth seasons, and launch The Great American Baking Show Celebrity Halloween Special.
Among the headline-grabbing revelations in his new memoir Who Knew, Fox Broadcasting Company co-founder Barry Diller discusses John Travolta’s exit from 1980’s American Gigolo, claiming that the star was unnerved by the film’s “somewhat gay subtext,” according to LGBTQ Nation, citing The Hollywood Reporter. Diller writes that he tried to convince Travolta to ignore the advice of his “twerpy, inexperienced manager” at the time and to film Gigolo, but he was unsuccessful. Travolta was eventually replaced by Richard Gere, who didn’t share the Grease star’s concerns. In fact, Gere told Entertainment Weekly in 2012 that the film’s queer subtext was actually part of what attracted him to the role of Julian.
Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is getting the stage musical treatment, with a book from Will Ferrell, Harper Steele and Anthony King, and music by Savan Kotecha, Playbill noted. Tony winner Alex Timbers is at the helm of the in-development project. Released in 2020, Eurovision Song Contest follows two Icelandic friends with dreams of winning the famed Eurovision Song Contest; Ferrell co-starred in the Netflix release with Rachel McAdams, also co-writing its screenplay with Steele. Ferrell and Steele were featured in the 2024 LGBTQ documentary Will & Harper, in which the duo took a road trip across the United States, with the latter having recently completed a gender transition.
Multi-platinum-selling country star Kane Brown will make his feature film debut opposite Taylor Lautner in The Token Groomsman, a new romantic comedy, per Deadline. The indie follows the career-focused Scott (Lautner), who is invited to be a groomsman at an elite, luxury, destination wedding—but the only problem is he doesn’t remember who the groom is. Scott jets off to Italy planning to blend in and quickly cash out. But when sparks unexpectedly fly with the groom’s sister Mia, Scott has to decide between “closing the deal” for money, or for love. Brown will play Neil, the best friend and moral compass to Scott.
AJ Bediako—a member of the original Brit Crew on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK—reportedly died, per Yahoo! Life. Bediako was also a personal fitness trainer, actor and model, and played with the gay and inclusive basketball team London Knights. “Last night at training, we came together to remember AJ and hold space for each other. We send our deepest condolences to his family, his partner Gabe, our teammates, his friends and everyone who was lucky enough to know him,” the team wrote.
Kelly Clarkson has reportedly experienced a “moment of clarity” following the personal issues that caused her to abruptly leave her talk show, per Page Six. She left the set of The Kelly Clarkson Show for almost two weeks back in March, but has yet to publicly discuss the reasons why. Several stars—including Andy Cohen, Simu Liu, Wanda Sykes and Brooke Shields—were quickly recruited to cover for the star. The turmoil came after things seemed to be finally settling back down in Clarkson’s life following her very public divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, with whom she shares two children.
JoJo Siwa recently talked with Billboard about new boyfriend Chris Hughes and embracing her queerness, Yahoo! Entertainment noted. Among other things, Siwa said that “30 days ago, I would have never even imagined I’d be friends with [Hughes],” calling their now-official relationship “the weirdest” idea. The reality dance star-turned-pop singer went from having her honor defended by housemate Hughes on Celebrity Big Brother UK after homophobic comments from actor Mickey Rourke to breaking up with then-partner Kath Ebbs at the show’s wrap party to partnering with Hughes. “There’s somebody who’s identified as one sexuality and then maybe had this realization within themselves but they don’t now feel they can’t change or grow.” Siwa added. “I’ve dated beautiful women, I’ve dated beautiful non-binary people, I have dated men… but I realize that’s just who I am. I realize for myself that I just like humans.”
A-ha singer Morten Harket, 65, said he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease—and he may not be able to sing again, The New York Post noted. The “Take on Me” singer shared in an interview on the Norwegian band’s website that treatment for symptoms of the condition have affected his voice and “creative future.” The musician added that he had been working on new songs in recent years but was unsure “if I’ll be able to finish them for release.” Harket as well as bandmates Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy last toured Australia in 2020 and performed what may be their final concert at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2022.
The cause of death of hairstylist Jesus Guerrero—who had Kylie Jenner as one of his clients—has been revealed nearly three months after his passing, per Us Weekly. Guerrero, 34, died of natural causes. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed that the hairstylist died of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and disseminated cryptococcus neoformans, which are fungal infections that can severely impact those with weakened immune systems.
A few weeks after David Geffen, 82, filed for divorce from David Armstrong (a.k.a. Donovan Michaels), 32, citing “irreconcilable differences,” the billionaire’s estranged husband has filed a response requesting spousal support, according to Out. Moreover, Armstrong requested Geffen to cover his legal costs and fees, as well as “all other relief the Court deems just and proper,” People reported. Geffen—an entertainment executive who owns multiple record labels and is a co-founder of DreamWorks Animation alongside Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg—started divorce proceedings on May 16, and stated in his filing that the two had been separated since Feb. 22. There is no prenuptial agreement, and Geffen (who is worth $8.7 billion) stated in his filing that he was open to providing spousal support and covering the costs of Armstrong’s attorneys.
More than a year after Vin Diesel was sued by a former assistant, who accused him of wrongful termination and sexual assault by former employee Asta Jonasson, Judge Daniel M. Crowley agreed to dismiss four different claims of harassment, per USA Today. Jonasson, who originally sued the actor in December 2023, alleged he sexually assaulted her in the fall of 2010 during the filming of Fast Five, the fifth installment of his Fast and Furious franchise. She was then fired, she alleged—a claim at the center of the parts of the lawsuit Crowley chose to dismiss.